4 senators: Reyes can’t stop our probe of AFP fund mess
Four senators are set to deny on Monday the motion of former Defense chief Angelo Reyes for them not to attend the Senate inquiry on allegations of corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In a strongly worded manifestation sent to reporters on Saturday, Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Jose âJinggoy" Ejercito Estrada, Francis Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV denied Reyesâs motion to inhibit, which they described as âunlawful" and a âfoolish attempt" to restrict the Senateâs power to conduct inquiries. âThe motion is unlawful, because it is not allowed under the Senate Rules of Procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation," the senators stated, citing Reyesâs lawyer Bonifacio Alentajanâs âgross ignorance of the law." They said the motion violates the Constitution, which grants the Senate the power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. âThe motion is a result of confusion in the mind of [Alentajan], because he labors under the illusion that a legislative inquiry amounts to a judicial trial. There is no such similarity, because a public congressional investigation is conducted in aid of legislation, and thus impartiality is not a requirement," the senators added. Reyes, through Alentajan, earlier wrote the Senate blue ribbon committee and asked that the four senators be made to inhibit themselves from the public hearing conducted by the Senate on alleged corrupt practices in the highest echelons of the AFP, as they have âlost their cold neutrality." (See: Ex-DND chief Reyes asks 4 senators to inhibit themselves from Senate inquiry) The four lawmakers explained that they were unable to personally sign the manifestation, but they âhave given their verbal consent" to it. In the same manifestation, the senators said they are moving to cite Reyes in contempt for testifying falsely and evasively when he answered âI cannot remember" to important questions. They are also asking that Alentajan be likewise cited for contempt, punished, and removed from the hearing room, for filing a motion that violated the rule, âCounsel for a witness should conduct himself in a professional, ethical, and proper manner." âBy manifesting gross ignorance of the law, and by making derogatory and provocative remarks in the media against this committee and certain senators, he has shown unprofessional, unethical, and improper conduct," the senators said. GMANews.TV as of posting time is still trying to contact Reyes and Alentajan for reactions. Reyes has been accused by former budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa of receiving at least P50 million as "pabaon" (send-off money) when he retired as AFP chief of staff in 2001. (See: Witness: Ex-AFP chief Angelo Reyes got P50M âpabaonâ) Rabusa bared this during the Senate hearing on the controversial plea bargain deal struck by the Office of the Ombudsman with former AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia. Reyes, a former AFP chief, headed the Defense Department from 2001 to middle of 2003. Garcia was AFP comptroller from March 2001 to September 2003. Rabusa meanwhile served as budget officer during the time of Garcia as J6 (deputy chief of staff for comptrollership, now defunct).âJV, GMANews.TV